Royston
Long before the arrival of white men, turquoise was recovered by Indians in the Royston Hills. Supposedly, between 1905 and 1912, Tiffany & Co. of New York also obtained the gem from this area. Only minor work and prospecting was done for the next several years. In 1921, however, $20,000 worth of silver was discovered and a booming camp quickly developed. It was briefly known as both Quincy and Hudson, before taking the name of W.H. Royston, manager of the Hudson Mining & Milling Company. By the end of 1921, 300 people lived at Royston and the town had a small business district. Plans were made for a post office, but the town was abandoned as quickly as it sprang up and the post office never opened.
Unprofitable mining continued intermittently through the remainder of the 1920s. The last company to work in the district was the Royston Turquoise Mines Company, organized in 1929 by Bryce Sewell and Frank Keller on a permanent lease on the Hudson Company's holdings. In 1930, the Royston Turquoise Mines Co. merged with the Royston Royal Blue Turquoise Mines Co., but they folded the following year. Royston remained quiet until 1948, when the Royston Coalition Mines Company began some work, ceasing later the same year. Royston has been largely quiet since, producing a total of $160,000.
Today, turquoise mining continues on a small scale throughout the Royston Hills. At the site of Royston, rock walls of a single building remain. Nearby are the more impressive remnants of the Royston Coalition Mines Company.
